Japan's transport ministry is proposing a small but material easing in the rules for aircraft maintenance training facilities. Under a draft revision opened for comment on June 30, maintenance-related facilities seeking designation would need 10 graduates rather than 20, while the threshold for maintenance test courses would fall to 6 from 12 and the bar for approval to add a new course would drop to 4 from 8. Comments are open until July 30.
| Threshold | Current | Proposed |
|---|---|---|
| Initial designation for a maintenance facility | 20 graduates | 10 graduates |
| Test course track record | 12 or more | 6 or more |
| Add a new course at an existing designated facility | 8 graduates | 4 graduates |
Why this matters
This is not just a clerical tidy-up. Under Article 29(4) of Japan's Aviation Act, education and training delivered by a designated facility for mechanics and other aviation personnel can allow all or part of the practical test for aviation personnel skill certification to be omitted. Lower track record thresholds should therefore make it easier for smaller maintenance providers to qualify for that designated status, or for existing designated facilities to widen what they teach.
Why MLIT is changing it
The ministry says smaller facilities with only a handful of trainees have become more common in the maintenance field. It also says past designation experience suggests a maintenance test course can be assessed adequately with fewer than 12 trainees, so the proposal would align the maintenance thresholds with standards already used for pilot training.
What is still open
The draft also mentions related technical revisions tied to headcount and training facilities, but the source text does not say how many schools or applicants would benefit. MLIT is aiming to promulgate and apply the change around August 2026, and says it plans to apply the new treatment even to test courses that have already been filed. For now, though, this remains a consultation draft rather than a final rule.